Norm Rice
American politician
title: "Norm Rice" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1943-births", "20th-century-african-american-politicians", "20th-century-mayors-of-places-in-washington-(state)", "21st-century-african-american-politicians", "african-american-people-in-washington-(state)-politics", "african-american-mayors-in-washington-(state)", "evans-school-of-public-policy-and-governance-alumni", "living-people", "mayors-of-seattle", "presidents-of-the-united-states-conference-of-mayors", "seattle-city-council-members", "university-of-washington-faculty", "washington-(state)-democrats"] description: "American politician" topic_path: "politics" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norm_Rice" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary American politician ::
::data[format=table title="Infobox officeholder"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Norm Rice |
| image | Norm Rice 1993 CROPPED.jpg |
| office | 49th Mayor of Seattle |
| term_start | January 1, 1990 |
| term_end | January 1, 1998 |
| predecessor | Charles Royer |
| successor | Paul Schell |
| office1 | 53rd President of the United States Conference of Mayors |
| term_start1 | 1995 |
| term_end1 | 1996 |
| predecessor1 | Victor Ashe |
| successor1 | Richard Daley |
| office2 | President of the Seattle City Council |
| term_start2 | January 3, 1984 |
| term_end2 | January 3, 1986 |
| predecessor2 | Jeanette Williams |
| successor2 | Sam Smith |
| birth_name | Norman Blann Rice |
| birth_date | |
| birth_place | Denver, Colorado, U.S. |
| party | Democratic |
| spouse | Constance Williams |
| education | University of Washington, Seattle (BA, MPA) |
| :: |
|name = Norm Rice |image = Norm Rice 1993 CROPPED.jpg |office = 49th Mayor of Seattle |term_start = January 1, 1990 |term_end = January 1, 1998 |predecessor = Charles Royer |successor = Paul Schell |office1 = 53rd President of the United States Conference of Mayors |term_start1 = 1995 |term_end1 = 1996 |predecessor1 = Victor Ashe |successor1 = Richard Daley |office2 = President of the Seattle City Council |term_start2 = January 3, 1984 |term_end2 = January 3, 1986 |predecessor2 = Jeanette Williams |successor2 = Sam Smith |birth_name = Norman Blann Rice |birth_date = |birth_place = Denver, Colorado, U.S. |death_date = |death_place = |party = Democratic |spouse = Constance Williams |education = University of Washington, Seattle (BA, MPA) Norman Blann Rice (born May 4, 1943) is an American politician who served as the 49th mayor of Seattle, Washington, serving two terms from 1990 to 1997. Rice was Seattle's first elected African-American mayor.
Early life
Rice graduated from the University of Washington in Seattle, earning a bachelor's degree in communications and a Master of Public Administration from the university's Daniel J. Evans School of Public Affairs. He became a member of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity. In 1975, he married Dr. Constance Williams.
Before entering city government, Rice worked as a reporter at KOMO-TV News and KIXI radio. He served as Assistant Director of the Seattle Urban League. He next worked as Executive Assistant and Director of Government Services for the Puget Sound Council of Governments.
Political life
Rice was first elected to the Seattle City Council in 1978 to fill a vacancy. He was reelected in 1979, 1983 and 1987, serving eleven years in all. He served as chairs of the Energy, Finance, and Budget committees, and was Council President for one term. Rice facilitated the development of more equitable cost allocation and rate design procedures for Seattle City Light as part of his work on the Energy Committee.
His accomplishments on the Finance and Budget Committee included the passage of the Women and Minority Business Enterprise Ordinance, and from 1982 to 1987, the elimination of City investments in firms doing business in apartheid-era South Africa.
He ran for mayor in 1985, but lost to Charles Royer. Rice ran again in 1989 in a crowded field and won 99,699 to 75,446. He was re-elected in 1993.
During the technology boom of the 1990s, Rice led the rejuvenation of Seattle's downtown. He also served as President of the U.S. Conference of Mayors.
In 1995, Rice served as a committee member for the Rudy Bruner Award for Urban Excellence.
In 1996, Rice ran in the Democratic primary for Governor of Washington, but he was defeated by then-King County Executive Gary Locke.
Rice championed a project to revive downtown by purchasing a garage adjacent to Pacific Place mall. The purchase was made using a $24 million loan from the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development. However, the mayor's office was accused of misleading HUD about how the funds were being used. HUD later found no "criminal violation." This complaint likely played a role in his failed bid to become HUD Secretary under Bill Clinton.
In 1997, Rice made a guest appearance as himself on an episode of Frasier, entitled "The 1000th Show."
Civic life
::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/36/Norm_Rice.jpg" caption="Rice at the [[University of Washington]] in November 2008"] ::
Rice was CEO and then president of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Seattle from 1998 to 2004.
In June 2009, Rice was named CEO of the non-profit Seattle Foundation, In December 2010, he was nominated as one of 30 members for a two-year appointment in the White House Council for Community Solutions, created by Executive Order of President Barack Obama.
In 2011, Rice was serving a three-year term as a Distinguished Practitioner-in-Residence at the University of Washington’s Daniel J. Evans School of Public Affairs and lead the project Civic Engagement in the 21st Century.
Honors and legacy
Rice has been awarded honorary degrees by Cornish College of the Arts, Seattle University, the University of Puget Sound, and Whitman College.
- Municipal League of King County’s James. R. Ellis Regional Leadership Award (with John Stanton)
- The American Jewish Federation’s Human Relations Award (with wife Constance Rice)
- National Neighborhood Coalition’s National Award for Leadership on Behalf of Neighborhoods
- King County Chapter of the YWCA’s Isabel Coleman Pierce Award
- Washington Council on Crime and Delinquency’s Mark F. Cooper Leadership Award
- American Association of Community College Students’ Outstanding Alumni Award
References
References
- "Norm Rice Subject Files, 1973-1992". Orbis Cascade Alliance.
- "Norman B. Rice". Evans School of Public Affairs, [[University of Washington]].
- "Rudy Bruner Award for Urban Excellence". Bruner Foundation.
- "Seattle Mayor On Fast Track For Hud Job -- Norm Rice In Washington, D.C., For Talks Regarding Cabinet Post {{!}} The Seattle Times".
- (1998-02-14). "Seattle Project Violated Laws, Officials Say Mayor Plans Review Of Findings, Defends Downtown Redevelopment".
- "Officials Say City Must Pay For Garage -- Only A Court Ruling Can Let Seattle Get Out Of High-Cost Contract {{!}} The Seattle Times".
- (19 July 2009). "Seattle's Federal Home Loan Bank In Big Money Trouble Again".
- serving in that post until December, 2013.[http://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/news/2013/12/10/norman-rice-says-hell-retire-from-the.html Norm Rice says he'll retire from The Seattle Foundation], BizJournals, December 10, 2013
- (December 14, 2010). "President Obama Announces Members of the White House Council for Community Solutions". [[whitehouse.gov]].
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